This disclosure relates generally to equipment utilized and operations performed in conjunction with a subterranean well and, in an example described below, more particularly provides for repeated setting and unsetting of an inflatable packer in a single trip into a well.
An inflatable packer can be used to isolate sections of an annulus from each other in a well. The annulus may be formed between two tubular strings (such as, a tubing string and a casing or liner string), or between a tubular string and an uncased or open hole wellbore. An inflatable seal element of the packer is internally pressurized, causing it to expand radially outward and thereby seal off the annulus.
It will, thus, be readily appreciated that improvements are continually needed in the arts of designing, constructing and utilizing inflatable well packers. Such improvements can be useful in a wide variety of different well environments and configurations.